The Internet makes it terribly easy to target niche markets. This fosters all kinds of new innovations. Some stay to become big, some remain niche, and some just disappear. This is also the case with games. Usually developed by independent hobbyist that some day want to make it big. Or just to test out a new game concept. Jay is Games and the Independent Games Festival support this movement with daily highlights and a competition.
But I’m not here to talk once more about games, well, I am. I think. I’m not sure what to call them. For me, it started with Samorost. Go ahead and check it out, it’s sort of an adventure game, maybe a puzzle game. An interactive toy? It certainly is a work of art. I doubt something like this can be made commercial. I believe it takes some serious time investment to design the screens, the interaction, the mechanics. No screen is alike. The Internet has made it possible.
Many games followed suite and reduced Samorost to its essence. Something like the recent Cowabanga (review here) and the classic clever Grow (seems to be older than Samorost BTW). A one screen puzzle with lots of things to fiddle with, and apparently no goal. However, there is in fact a winning condition, so yeah, technically it’s still a game.
I wonder what would happen if you’d try to port this kind of puzzle/toy to real life.